Record Reviews
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  | JEFF BECK ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM CLASSICS VOL.2
SONY 886976605124 (Barcode: 886976605124) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1980 - 2000 Released: 2010
This Box Set collects reissues of five albums by the legendary British guitarist / composer / bandleader Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist, originally released on the EpicFind albums on this label label between 1980 and 2001. They are: “There & BackFind albums with this title” (1980), “FlashFind albums with this title” (1985), “Jeff Beck`s Guitar ShopFind albums with this title” (1989), “Who Else!Find albums with this title” (1999) and “You Had It ComingFind albums with this title” (2001). Those are the third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth solo studio albums recorded by Jeff Beck. The soundtrack “Frankie`s HouseFind albums with this title” (1992 with Jed LeiberFind albums by this artist), as well as the sixth album “Crazy LegsFind albums with this title” (1993) are missing in this Box Set, as usual for unexplained reasons. The “Flash” album includes a couple of bonus tracks not present on the original album.
The musicians playing on these albums include some of the best players, both in the UK and USA, such as keyboardists Jan HammerFind albums by this artist and Tony HymasFind albums by this artist, bassists Mo FosterFind albums by this artist and Doug WimbishFind albums by this artist, drummers Simon PhillipsFind albums by this artist, Carmine AppiceFind albums by this artist and Terry BozzioFind albums by this artist and many, many others.
Musically Beck flirts on these albums with diverse environments, such as Jazz-Rock Fusion, Pop and Rock. Except for the “Flash” album, which features vocal contributions by Beck and other guests, including Rod StewartFind albums by this artist on one track, the rest of the material is mostly instrumental and displays Beck´s guitar pyrotechnics at their full scale.
Overall, this is a real treat to all guitar fans and a great showcase of Beck’s undeniable talent as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
Side Note
The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label, the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label, the "5 Original AlbumsFind albums with this title" by UniversalFind albums on this label, the Box Sets by RhinoFind albums on this label and other similar releases are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard for the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires as to treat our Cultural Legacy with respect and loyalty.
The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. Most importantly these Box Sets don't include any booklet offering a historical background and perspective about the Artists and the Music, which are extremely important and vital to the preservation of our Culture and passing the knowledge to the next generations.
In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!
| | Updated: 03/09/2021Posted: 03/09/2021 | CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | FACES ~ 1970-1975: YOU CAN MAKE ME DANCE, SING OR ANYTHING…
RHINO 081227954239 (Barcode: 081227954239) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock
Recorded: 1970 - 1975 Released: 2015
This Box Set collects the four studio albums recorded by the legendary British Rock group FacesFind albums by this artist, remastered and expanded with previously unreleased bonus tracks and also including a fifth CD full of bonus material like B-sides, rarities, etc.
Faces were formed in 1969 by members of the iconic Pop / Rock band Small FacesFind albums by this artist, following the departure of their lead singer / vocalist Steve MarriottFind albums by this artist, who left to form the supergroup Humble PieFind albums by this artist. The remaining musicians: keyboardist Ian McLaganFind albums by this artist, bassist Ronnie LaneFind albums by this artist and drummer Kenney JonesFind albums by this artist were joined by guitarist Ronnie WoodFind albums by this artist and vocalist Rod StewartFind albums by this artist, both ex-members of Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist´s group. The new quintet lineup dropped the "Small" part of the group´s name and became Faces, one of the most successful British Rock acts in the first part of the 1970.
Faces released four studio albums: the debut "The First StepFind albums with this title" in 1970 (which in the US was released still under the Small Faces moniker), the second album "Long PlayerFind albums with this title" in 1971, the third album "A Nod Is As Good As A Wink…To A Blind HorseFind albums with this title" in 1971 and finally the fourth album "Ooh La LaFind albums with this title" in 1973. An ill-fated live album followed before Faces finally disbanded in 1975.
In many respects Faces were the epitome of British Rock. They had everything that a great Rock group needed: superb musicianship, sublime songwriting, charismatic and powerful lead singer, years of experience and tons of talent. All those are apparent while listening to the albums in this Box Set, especially from a retrospective viewpoint. The debut album is still full of the Small Faces idiosyncrasies, but the later albums present a new crystallized identity of a group that has its own voice. The fact that Faces used almost exclusively their own original material is also remarkable. And of course they were paying a tribute to the British Blues, with their music being completely soaked in it.
Another strange observation that struck me while listening to these albums is how similar this music is to the music Humble Pie played more or less in parallel. Perhaps Marriott´s departure was indeed premature and Small Faces might have developed into an environment he might have been comfortable with. In any case we can´t turn the wheels of change back and after all we were lucky to enjoy both of these sublime groups.
The music in this Box Set is evidence of how great the music of the Golden Decade was, consistently strengthened with every reissue of music recorded at that time. The dichotomy between this music and the travesty we call music that is being produced today is simply devastating.
This Box Set is an essential capsule of British Rock history, which should not be missed in any serious music collection. Absolute honey to my ears!
| | Updated: 29/01/2019Posted: | CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | FRANKIE MILLER ~ ...THAT`S WHO! - THE COMPLETE CHRYSALIS RECORDINGS (1973-1980)
CHRYSALIS 5060516091249 (Barcode: 5060516091249) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 1973 - 1980 Released: 2018
This wonderful Box Set presents all seven albums recorded by the Scottish Rock singer / songwriter Frankie MillerFind albums by this artist for the ChrysalisFind albums on this label Records label: "Once In A Blue MoonFind albums with this title", "High LifeFind albums with this title", "The RockFind albums with this title", "Full HouseFind albums with this title", "Double TroubleFind albums with this title", "Falling In LoveFind albums with this title" and "Easy MoneyFind albums with this title". The albums are remastered and include bonus material. Most of the songs on these albums were written by Miller and he is accompanied by some of the best Rock musicians of the period.
Miller is one of the great unsung heroes of Rock and his great achievements both as a performer and more importantly as a songwriter are sadly little know even to the avid Classic Rock connoisseurs. Blessed with a superb throaty voice in the same league as Rod StewartFind albums by this artist and Joe CockerFind albums by this artist, Millet´s heartfelt Blues / Soul inspired vocals are among the best Rock performances out there.
Miller´s songs were covered by dozens of British and American Rock artists over time, many of which became major hits. His songwriting was diverse stylistically and covered the entire spectrum of Rock sub-genres, from Blues and Blues-Rock, via Soul, Rhythm And Blues, Country and even Hard Rock. Regardless of the style his songs were all little gems, which still sound every bit as good as they did at the time they were written and originally recorded,
This Box Set is a splendid opportunity to discover Frankie Miller and of course to remember his contribution to Rock history. Most of these albums were out of print for ages and this is an easy and inexpensive solution to get hold of these gems in one fell swoop. Definitely wholeheartedly recommended!
| | Updated: 09/03/2024Posted: 31/05/2019 | CD 7 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | FRANKIE MILLER ~ LIVE AT ROCKPALAST
MIG 90592 (Barcode: 885513905925) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock
Recorded: 1976 - 1982 Released: 2013
This Box Set presents a collection of live concert recordings by the great British Blues-Rock vocalist / guitarist / songwriter Frankie MillerFind albums by this artist, captured by the German TV program Rockpalast. The 3CD collection presents forty-three tracks, recorded on three different occasions, as described below. With a few exceptions all the songs were written by Miller.
CD1 was recorded on August 28th, 1982 and the lineup includes Miller, lead guitarist Ed DeaneFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Mick WeaverFind albums by this artist, bassist Chrissie StewartFind albums by this artist and drummer Malcolm MortimoreFind albums by this artist.
CD2 was recorded on June 3rd, 1976 and the lineup includes Miller, lead guitarist Ray MinhinnitFind albums by this artist, keyboardist James HallFind albums by this artist, Stewart and drummer Graham DeaconFind albums by this artist.
CD3 was recorded on May 6th, 1979 and the lineup includes Miller, Deane, guitarist / accordionist / violinist Steve SimpsonFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Nick JuddFind albums by this artist, bassist Tex CommerFind albums by this artist and drummer Fran BryneFind albums by this artist.
Miller was blessed with an incredible throaty voice, closely similar to that of Paul RodgersFind albums by this artist, Rod StewartFind albums by this artist or Joe CockerFind albums by this artist, also sharing their affinity to the Blues, making him one of the best British Blues-Rock vocalists ever. He recorded a series of excellent albums for the ChrysalisFind albums on this label label, which were reissued in the brilliant Box Set “...That`s Who! - The Complete Chrysalis Recordings (1973-1980)Find albums with this title”, and which is a must to all British Blues-Rock fans. His live performances are full of energy and zest, as this music in this Box Set proves beyond any doubt.
In 1994 Miller suffered a brain aneurysm, who took him out of the performing environment, but he made a remarkable recovery, which took over a decade, and returned to recording music.
Overall, this is a wonderful archival collection of live performances by Miller at his peak, which is a true delight to all Blues-Rock fans, and offers incredible thrill of music performed with joy and passion. Wholeheartedly recommended!
| | Updated: 10/03/2024Posted: 09/03/2024 | CD 3 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | SPOOKY TOOTH ~ IT`S ALL ABOUT
REPERTOIRE 1074 (Barcode: 4009910107423) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 1968 Released: 2005
1st album by superb British Rock band Spooky ToothFind albums by this artist, which comprised of four British musicians: vocalist / pianist Mike HarrisonFind albums by this artist, guitarist Luther GrosvenorFind albums by this artist, bassist Greg RidleyFind albums by this artist and drummer Mike KellieFind albums by this artist and American vocalist / organist Gary WrightFind albums by this artist, who lived in UK at the time. Together they possessed an incredible amount of talent, which turned then instantly into one of the best Rock acts on the British Isles at the end of the 1960s. Their material, mostly written by Wright, was a mixture of Rock, Blues and proto-Prog with Psychedelic influences, performed with a dense heavy sound dominated by Wright´s organ, somewhere between Procol HarumFind albums by this artist and Led ZeppelinFind albums by this artist. Grosvenor played some fantastic guitar licks and the rhythm section was second to none with Ridley´s heavy but virtuosic pulsations and Kellie´s spectacular pyrotechnics. Together with Harrison´s incredible vocal abilities, which combined the forces of everything from Robert PlantFind albums by this artist, via Rod StewartFind albums by this artist to Roger ChapmanFind albums by this artist, the band had the ability to outshine any if its contemporaries, and they certainly did a fantastic job on their debut album, which is an incredible blast of energy and ingenuity, turning it into an instant classic. Although slightly patchy stylistically, since the band was still searching for its own unique approach, the variety of styles works well here and adds to the album´s appeal. This is definitely one of the strongest debut albums of Classic Rock and a diamond in any serious record collection. Essential listening experience!
| | | CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | ROD STEWART ~ THE ROD STEWART SESSIONS 1971-1998
WARNER BROS. 081227985387 (Barcode: 081227985387) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock
Recorded: 1971 - 1998
I have always had a soft spot for Rod StewartFind albums by this artist, ever since I´ve met him when he was the soloist of the legendary Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist group, before he moved on to front FacesFind albums by this artist. The two albums he recorded with Beck and his first two solo albums are still among my favorite Rock albums which I like to revisit from time to time. Stewart´s sensational career spanning more than five decades is an exceptional story of 20th Century music and he still manages to move his audiences now, past his 70th Birthday. Old Rockers die hard and he is one of those who keep the memory of past decades alive. When Stewart started to record the "Great American SongbookFind albums with this title" series, he was viscously ridiculed by "critics", especially those from Jazz circles, who considered his interpretation of standards to be a profanity. In truth Stewart sang these standards better than most contemporary American Jazz singers.
Stewart proved over time that he fits comfortably into a wide variety of formats and genres within the Rock and Pop idioms. His sensitivity to melody and his ability to play around with his voice are truly remarkable and basically unparalleled by any other vocalist. Therefore his position in Rock history is well deserved and fully justified.
This wonderful Box Set is an obvious labor of love, which happens only thanks to dedicated people, who are willing to spend endless hours and move mountains to do what they think is the right thing. In this case producer Andy ZaxFind albums by this artist, who listened for endless hours to the original recording tapes of the albums made by Stewart starting with his third album "Every Picture Tells A StoryFind albums with this title" from 1971 and right through the album "When We Were The New BoysFind albums with this title" from 1998, collecting all the unreleased material from these sessions and presenting them all here, 63 tracks spread over four CDs, all beautifully remastered.
Stewart sings his heart out all the way through, as he always does, with his beautiful and unique throaty voice never letting the listener down. Mind you these are outtakes, alternate takes and other material which is supposed to be of secondary quality and importance, but you would never guess this is the fact, as they are simply all classic Rod Stewart at his best.
The CDs are beautifully packaged in a digibook format with a great booklet describing the music track by track and including many photographs. Stewart´s fans will find this a must of course, as all this material is nowhere else to be found, but honestly this is great Rock music which all music connoisseurs should find interesting.
| | Updated: 26/01/2019Posted: | CD 4 Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | ROD STEWART ~ THE TEARS OF HERCULES
WARNER BROS. 603497842520 (Barcode: 603497842520) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock
Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021
This is the thirty-second studio album by the iconic British vocalist / songwriter Rod StewartFind albums by this artist, recorded with a small team of his usual cohorts, which includes keyboardist Kevin SavigarFind albums by this artist, guitarist Emerson SwinfordFind albums by this artist, violinist J`anna JacobyFind albums by this artist, percussionist Julia ThorntonFind albums by this artist and several backing vocalists. The album presents twelve songs, nine of which were co-written by Stewart and Savigar (one also by Swinford) and three are arrangements of songs by other songwriters. The songs are connected into a continuous stream of sound without the usual pauses between them.
I first fell under the spell of Stewart’s idiosyncratic voice when I heard him fronting the Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist group in 1967 and this “love affair” is still very much on. His long and convoluted career produced many albums of various quality, but his vocals always were, and still are, completely amazing and lost nothing of their uniqueness and power, which is pretty astounding. Personally I most enjoy his early albums and The Great American Songbook series, but honestly Stewart never sung a wrong note in his life. He is a superb interpreter of songs written by other great songwriters, and in my book he stands proudly next to another British Rock icon, Joe CockerFind albums by this artist, both born only a few months apart.
This new album, created amidst the pandemic, is one of the best efforts of his late career. The songs are all solid and well written, especially the ballads, and are a true joy to listen to. On a few songs the contemporary arrangements are a tad artificial, and Stewart still sounds the best just accompanied by a piano, like on the title song. His heartbreaking balladry is still completely unappalled.
Overall, for an artist with six decades of musical legacy, Stewart still sounds as sweet and sour as he ever did and combined with the fine songs he sings here, this album is pure unadulterated musical delight. Hats off!
| | Updated: 18/12/2021Posted: 18/12/2021 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ TOMMY
REPERTOIRE 5128 (Barcode: 4009910512821) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2009
A lavish production of the first Rock Opera, written and originally performed and recorded by Pete TownshendFind albums by this artist and the WhoFind albums by this artist in 1969, which was staged and recorded three years later by the London Symphony OrchestraFind albums by this artist, English Chamber ChoirFind albums by this artist and s set of soloist, which sounds like a who´s who of British Rock superstars at the time, including: Pete Townshend, Roger DaltreyFind albums by this artist, Ringo StarrFind albums by this artist, Rod StewartFind albums by this artist, Sandy DennyFind albums by this artist, Richie HavensFind albums by this artist, Richard HarrisFind albums by this artist and others. The overall production and performance are stunning and remain a symbol of what was possible at that time, with no effort and money spared in order to make great music. In many respects this is the best ever version of "TommyFind albums with this title" and an absolute must to any Classic Rock collector. This edition includes a lavish book with the original extensive graphics. A true collector´s item!
| | | CD 1 Digipak Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
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